World shattering events-That the PCs ignore

[Emerikol]

This depends on what sorts of stories your group is interested in. The Lord of the Rings, after all, was a story about some insignificant hobbits who managed to save the world. That sort of story might not flow from the default assumptions of D&D, but it's certainly possible to manage in a role-playing game. I've run a number of campaigns that featured PCs who managed—through cleverness, daring, and a bit of luck—to have an outsize impact on the game world.

Point made. I probably would not run that sort of campaign. I'm the sort where if the world is at stake and the PCs fail then the world is done. I'm a let the dice fall where they fall kind of guy. So in general I almost never even at high level put the whole world on the line. The world goes down only after a long series of defeats at the hands of evil. It's more of a growing shadow than a sudden apocalypse.

 

[nevin]

I am sure a lot of DMs have wanted to do world shattering events, the kind of events that change the world as the PCs know it, and often involves saving it. Now, what to do if your PCs just say "meh" and go on their way after hearing the dommsday omen from some mysterious figure. Would it be fair to have them adventure for normal for a while, then have the event occur because the PCs did nothing to stop it?

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Consequences are the DM s friend. As long as it's a doomsday that doesn't end the game.

 

[Ovinomancer]

Folks, please note that this thread is from 2004, and most of the posters in the thread no longer post here. I know, I miss a number of these names.

That said, the topic is interesting. My opinion is that if I put out there that then game is about X, and the players say 'meh,' this is not an ask by the players to continue to make the game about X and hit them with consequences. I've not properly done my job as GM, in that I haven't sold this to the players (this game is about stopping terrible thing X, either in session zero or in play) or I'm missing major cues about what my players want from the game. Perhaps this group is incompatible and needs to do something else or with someone else, or perhaps we need to realign expectations and revisit session zero, but I would be highly leery of thinking that this can be solved by continuing with my GM plot, playing solitaire, and telling the players the consequences of what I imagined without them.

Your mileage may vary.

 

[uzirath]

Folks, please note that this thread is from 2004, and most of the posters in the thread no longer post here. I know, I miss a number of these names.

Ahh... totally missed the dates. I wish necromantic threads could be visually marked as such somehow.

 

[aco175]

@Ryernad welcome to the boards, thanks for participating and hope you continue. I was going to make some funny about world shaking events like 4th edition coming and going since 2004.

 

[Campbell]

I mean obviously if you make threats and do not ever follow through players will not take you seriously. If you set the stakes you should honor them. However setting the stakes that high is almost always a mistake if you want to give players any sense of freedom of action.